Pearland gets a heads-up on development project

The bust of George H.W. Bush was one of six relocated by RWS Crane & Rigging to the artist's studio property in Houston.

The bust of George H.W. Bush was one of six relocated by RWS Crane & Rigging to the artist's studio property in Houston.

Photo: Nick De La Torre, Staff

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After an earlier proposal fell through in April 2010, six busts of presidents were removed from the Pearland site by local artist David Adickes.

After an earlier proposal fell through in April 2010, six busts of presidents were removed from the Pearland site by local artist David Adickes.

Photo: Nick De La Torre, Staff

Image 3 of 4

Artist David Adickes, right, supervised the crew that disassembled the presidential busts in Pearland four years ago, saying the art is "waiting for a final home."

Artist David Adickes, right, supervised the crew that disassembled the presidential busts in Pearland four years ago, saying the art is "waiting for a final home."

Photo: Nick De La Torre, Staff

Image 4 of 4

The head portion of a giant bust of George Washington is carried by crane to a flat bed truck, where it will be secured for delivery Tuesday, April 6, 2010, in Pearland. Six busts of presidents were removed because the land they were placed on is under foreclosure. The development company however still owns the statues and will return to their maker, local artist David Adickes. ( Nick de la Torre / Chronicle ) less

The head portion of a giant bust of George Washington is carried by crane to a flat bed truck, where it will be secured for delivery Tuesday, April 6, 2010, in Pearland. Six busts of presidents were removed ... more

Photo: Nick De La Torre, Staff

Pearland gets a heads-up on development project

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A 48-acre swath of land that once was envisioned as a park to showcase oversize busts of U.S. presidents has attracted a Chinese developer to Pearland.

Beijing-based Modern Green Development, an international company and one of the largest green building developers in China, hopes to build a large-scale mixed-use project on the site west of Texas 288 and south of Beltway 8.

The planned development would be its first in the United States and second in North America. The company has constructed 15 million square feet of mixed-use space around the world.

The roughly $500 million plan would include residential, office and retail space, plus a hotel and a community for seniors. The plan on Monday goes to a joint public hearing between the Pearland City Council and the Planning and Zoning Department.

"We would like to see development occur," Assistant City Manager Mike Hodge said. "We are still evaluating the proposal and trying to determine that."

The plan includes 1,300 residential townhomes and condos, 400 of which would be rentals, 100,000 square feet of office space, 135,000 square feet of retail, a 100-unit hotel and restaurant space.

Twenty acres would remain open to encourage a walkable community, said Kevin Cole, assistant manager of business development and marketing for American Modern Green.

"It can be a major entrance into the city," Cole said. "Our hope and dream is that it will ultimately be a destination. We hope to be a spark that will make other types of development very similar to ours happen. It really can be an urban core for the city of Pearland."

The project would be constructed in four phases and is projected over a timeline of six to 10 years.

A similar mixed-use project was previously planned for that site around 2007, before the economic downturn stalled the idea and the property was taken over by a bank.

That project, to be called the Water Lights District, was to include a park to display 43 presidential busts by local artist David Adickes.

In Pearland, a suburb where farmland has rapidly given way to residential development in recent decades, the busts were meant to welcome visitors and give the area character.

Only six busts were installed in the Presidential Park & Gardens, and Barack Obama had yet to win election before the project stalled.

Adickes said the busts are now sitting in the yard near his studio in Houston. He said he did not know whether they would be utilized for the new plan.

"The set does exist and is waiting for a final home," Adickes said. "Theoretically, they would do well there."

Pearland 'place to be'

The Water Lights developer had planned a $700 million project on about 57 acres to build apartments, restaurants, office buildings, two hotels, a conference facility and a Venice-like canal running throughout.

Cole, of American Modern Green, said the company became attracted to the Houston area because of the jobs being created, particularly in the thriving energy and medical sectors, and the boost in housing opportunities.

"When you drill down even closer, Pearland is and was the place to be when we looked at it," Cole said, noting the land's proximity to the Texas Medical Center as well as to downtown Houston. He also pointed to other plans for the region as a factor in the choice of location.

The targeted site is an area Pearland officials refer to as Lower Kirby, comprising 1,200 acres of mostly undeveloped land on the western edge of Pearland facing South Beltway 8.

In addition to residential, office and retail, other proposed developments there include a technology/research campus and light manufacturing.

Already there is a Bass Pro Shop, a medical device manufacturing facility by Cardiovascular Systems and Pearland Surgery Center.

Hoping to set standard

In 2009, city and economic development officials began developing a broad strategy to attract investors to the area.

"This type of development fits nicely into their ultimate plans for the area," Cole said. "We believe we can create a pretty special place that will set the standard for the whole Lower Kirby region."